Tase me out to the ballgame

The recent Tasing of a 17-year old baseball fan who ran onto the field at a Philadelphia Philles game has received international attention and sparked debates over the proper way to subdue someone who is interfering with a sports event.

But that could change. A 2008 Boston Herald story (no longer available online for free) noted that the BPD had considered buying Tasers but that the plan was thwarted by budget constraints.

Tasers are used by 44 law enforcement agencies around the state – most of them located in smaller communities. A 2009 state report found that the police department in the town of Wareham, population 20,000, was responsible for 10 percent of all Taser use in the state. Earlier this year, Amnesty International questioned the safety of Tasers and called on the state secretary of public safety to review how the devices are being used.